 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Invention of Lying
- Review Date: September 28, 2009
- PG-13
- Genre: Comedy
- 2009
Common Sense Media says
Gervais' irreverent fable isn't meant for kids.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that The Invention of Lying is, like most of star Ricky Gervais' humor, irreverent and edgy (though also thought provoking). Nothing is sacred -- including religion (in the movie, the concept of God, aka "The Man in the Sky," is one of the lies that the main character invents). There's no sex on screen, but there's lots of talk about it -- including masturbation references, propositions, use of words like "boobies," etc. Expect a fair bit of salty language, from name-calling ("prick," "bastard," "faggot," "manbitch") to infrequent use of "f--k" and "s--t." Characters drink beer, wine, champagne, and whiskey; there's some drunkenness, and a man is shown driving while intoxicated. Lots of commercial products are shown on screen, with some showing up in scene after scene.
What's the story?
There's no such thing as a lie or untruth in the society that writers/directors Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson have created in THE INVENTION OF LYING. There's not even a word for the concepts of truth or falsehood (which can only be described with difficulty as "things that aren't"). After a down-on-his-luck, lovesick, and decidedly common Mark Bellison (Gervais) accidentally tells the first lie ever, nothing is the same. It's a small lie, but it gets Mark out of a bind. The implication isn't lost on him: Truth definitely has its limitations. Bigger lies (mostly to help friends and loved ones cope with life's fears, indignities, and pain) lead Mark to fame, fortune, and a budding but ambivalent relationship with the woman of his dreams (Jennifer Garner). But to his dismay, things eventually spiral out of control as his escalating fabrications turn him into a prophet for a changed world.
Is it any good?
Amid the movie's clever, witty dialogue, funny situations, and sneakily amusing riffs on some of our most treasured icons (moviemaking, advertising, the good-looking guy), it's surprising to realize that The Invention of Lying isn't just another "one joke" comedy. Gervais and Robinson had more in mind: They tackled some pretty heady concepts (death, faith, religion, and more) while using a very gentle hand -- along with the humor -- to make their points ... or at least to get the audience to think about what they've seen.
The movie includes many delightful, unexpected cameo appearances (watch for Ed Norton behind aviator sunglasses), and the supporting actors (including Jonah Hill, Jeffrey Tambor, Tina Fey, and Rob Lowe) are all very funny, though not much is demanded of them beyond playing one-dimensional caricatures that serve the leads. Gervais, as expected, is terrific as the Everyman, and Garner is very impressive as a comedienne. Their scenes together are wonderful examples of good timing, good chemistry, and two people having great fun. This is a movie that may turn out to be richer and more fun with each viewing.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how the movie uses laughter to address some important ideas. Did it make you think in new ways about concepts like honesty, lying, and faith?
There are "bad" and "good" lies (fibs or white lies) in this film. Arethere times when you've not told the truth to avoid hurting someone? Are there times when a fib is better than the facts?
In the movie, much importance is placed on how people look -- and the necessity of having "beautiful children." What is the movie is saying about body image and our obsession with attractiveness?
How did the filmmakers convey that the story took place in a fantasyworld? Did the settings, characters, and dialogue help you accept thatworld?
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AGE
sucked
it plain out sucked. i laugh at almost everything and i laughed twice during this movie. see something else it sucked.
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AGE
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! Your light treatment of the main theme of the movie ("Nothing is sacred -- including religion...") doesn't even begin to describe how ANTI-Christian/ANTI-Religion this movie is. It only masquerades as a comedy to try and mask the obvious attack on God, Christ, Religion, etc. If you really were doing your job...you would have had warnings all over the place about this in your review. I was truly offended by this movie.
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AGE
Awful, depressing movie
I hated this movie. Let's just say that I walked out when one man yells, "I say f*** the man in the sky." (The man in the sky, by the way, being God.) I'm shocked that CSM, which I usually have the utmost respect for, didn't make more of a point of warning parents about the absolute anit-religious theme in this movie. It basically makes people who believe in religion look like morons. I understand Gervais is an atheist, but people should know that this movie WILL offend people of faith.
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AGE
Blantant anti-God and religion message...Beware
Some cute parts in the movie and interesting points about the concept of lying, though the content is appropriate for adults, and confusing for children. Especially since the biggest message in the movie is, God and religion is a lie. Very strong anti-religion message, so beware.
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AGE
I really funny movie. I laughed so hard when he was announcing the ten commandments. I would recommend this movie for mature teens 13+, but not for anyone super religious that can not take a joke to save their life. Seriously people... its hollywood.
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AGE
DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!
I did not know anything about this movie, and now I wish I still didn't. Nothing funny in it. This movie was very negative. The people say everything that is on their minds-EVERYTHING! The more hurtful the better. Then, when the main character's mother is dying, she says she is going to an eternity of nothingness. He decdides to "lie" to her and tell her of this wonderful place of love, joy, beauty, etc. They don't use the word "Heaven," but of course that is the inference. As if Heaven is a lie. It just gets worse from there. I was totally shocked at the total disregard for God. I am a Christian and this movie was blatantly disrespectful. I turned it off when someone said "Then f... the man in the sky." I would never recommend this movie to anyone. I would give it negative stars if available.
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AGE
Not funny with a negative message
I know that some of the other reviewers touch on what I'm going to say but I feel like I have to write this review anyway. I purchased this DVD after reading the product information on this website. I will admit that I did not read the user reviews and that it turns out I should have. Nothing in the Common Sense review indicated that this movie had such an anti-Christian/anti-God/anti-religious (however you want to put it) message. The main character, having lied once and finding himself in a situation where he must explain his lie, makes up ten rules which he says were given to him by "the man in the sky." The similarities to Moses and the Ten Commandments continue from there. The point is, of course, that God is a lie. I think that Common Sense should have at least a small mention in their "Messages" category about this. The rest of the movie was pretty mediocre as well. Not even 15 minutes into the movie, my husband and I had the discussion that just because the characters couldn't lie it didn't mean they had to volunteer all the negative things they were thinking. And does the inability to lie really make you not care that you were hurting other people's feelings. It was more like they had no inner monologue - to reference Austin Powers. In summary, this movie left me more confused and uncomfortable than amused.
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AGE
Love Ricky Gervais. Loved the premise. Loved all the cameos. Hated the story, editing, script, acting in general and the fact I paid $9 to see it. Genuinely hope others enjoyed it more than I did.
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AGE
Tread carefully based on your audience!
While it had some very funny and silly moments and yes, could lead to some discussion about believing in yourself and thinking positively, definitely be sure of your audience. In our home we sometimes go up to PG13 movies because we always discuss the bad language as words that we are not allowed to say. And, often, the subtle sexuality is simply chuckled at or goes over our younger one's heads. However, there was nothing subtle about the "masturbate" which was used at least a half dozen times in the first five minutes. We were not ready for that question! It was just thrown right out there and really seemed to be said several times just for the sake of saying it. Our "bad," for not being more aware of what we were putting in the DVD. Just learn from our error and know what you're getting into!
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AGE
One of the Worst Movies I've Ever Seen
This movie is in the top five worst movies I've ever seen. It has open sexual references and the acting is dry.
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| Studio: | Warner Bros. |
| Directors: | Matthew Robinson, Ricky Gervais |
| Cast: | Jennifer Garner, Ricky Gervais, Rob Lowe |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 100 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | October 2, 2009 |
| DVD release date: | January 19, 2010 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | language including some sexual material and a drug reference |
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